In Sickness and in Health
by AnOpenBookWithATornOutPage
Summary: "In sickness and in health, do people still say that?" Nick and Carla finally get married and move to Devon, but will their paradise be ruined by Nick's brain injury? Contains some strong language.
1. Chapter 1

**In this story, it continues from the 24th May 2016 episode so the 25th May 2016 episode (the one where Gail slaps Carla) never happened. Also, Callum is dead but his death had nothing to do with the Platts.**

* * *

Nick walks back into his old kitchen and out of the back door. His tears were still stinging his eyes, making them look completely red. His chest felt so tight like his heart was about to get squashed. His breathing became louder and more rapid. It's been ages since Nick has had a panic attack and he is right on the edge of having one again. As he slides down a wall, he closes his eyes and tries to control himself while wishing his brain injury would stop making everything ten times worse.

* * *

Meanwhile, Carla sits in her dress uncomfortably as she stares down at the table. She knows that she has ruined everything; her chances to have a perfect wedding, her chances to have a perfect marriage, her chances to have a perfect husband. Yet deep down... she is desperate to fix it. Through all the clouds of self-hate and guilt, there is something telling her not to give up, not to give up on the life and the love that she and Nick deserves.

"How could you? How could you be so selfish?", Carla looks up as Gail's painful questions fire into her ears.

"He loves you so much and yet you go behind his back and sleep with his own chef!", Gail shouts at Carla while the remaining guests sit there awkwardly listening.

"Mum, just be quiet, you're embarrassing yourself", David whispers

"What, what are you on Carla's side now?", Gail shouts towards David

"No, but Nick isn't a saint you make him out to be, remember when you kept his secret about him sleeping with my wife?", David whispers which make Gail become quiet.

"I am sorry Gail, I'm so sorry", Carla says as tears escape her eyes.

Gail just rolls her eyes back while David gives Carla some needed advice:

"You should really be saying that to Nick. Look, he does really love you and eventually, he will forgive you and trust you. He's a smart guy and he doesn't see things black and white, unlike me. Just tell him everything that happened and explain to him how much you love him. He will understand"

Hearing this, Carla decides that David is right and she starts to make her way towards Nick.

* * *

Finally, he's now able to calm himself down. However, he still feels too overwhelmed to stand up and go back inside the bistro. Nick managed somehow to stop himself from having a full-on panic attack but he has no idea how he did it. Perhaps the fresh air and the fact he didn't have anyone crowding his space had something to do with it.

"Nick?"

He turns around and he saw his newly wedded wife right in front of him.

"Are...are you ok?"


	2. Chapter 2

He stares for a few seconds at her before deciding upon what to say.

"I'm... I'm fine"

Nick begins to stand and tidy himself up because he couldn't let Carla see the state he was in just a moment ago; he knows that he needs to be in control right now, not his injury.

"What do you want Carla?"

She had no idea how to start, where to begin, what to say- seeing Nick just now has made her mind so cloudy, and the thought that this could be the last conversation they will have as husband and wife, has built up so much pressure, it's making her crumble.

"Carla, what do you want to tell me?"

Taking a deep breath, she goes for it:

"I want to tell you the truth. Just the truth. Everything that happened with me, Robert, Tracy, everything. I know you don't trust me right now and I'm not expecting you to either, but I promise you that I'm not lying to you now and I've realised what an idiot I have been for the past few months. I am so sorry for not telling you straight away. Please Nick, just give me a chance to explain"

Nick sighs and looks directly at the floor. Right now, he really wants to hurt Carla as much as she is hurting him... but a part of him wants to listen to her, hear the full story, find some way to forgive her.

"Go on then, from the start"

Now she feels relieved, relieved that she is given a chance to save her marriage before it has truly begun. She's calm now, relaxed and ready to tell Nick everything she should have told him before:

"Ok, well it happened on new year's day. I was still upset about finding out that Johnny is my dad. I and you had some stupid row and I wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone. Then I got a visiting order from Rob, and Chelle was trying to talk to me, and I just had enough with everyone, I just wanted five minutes to myself. So I went to the casino to get away from it all. Then Robert came out of the blue, at first I thought you sent him to go and look for me. Anyway, he won a small fortune, we celebrated, we got drunk, and then... well I already told you what happened next"

Again, Nick sighs and he is still looking at the floor. New year's day, the first day of the year, the day after his birthday (that Carla forgot anyway), out of all the days in the year, it had to happen on the first day.

"So, what has Tracy got to do with it?", Nick asks quite bluntly.

"She found out. She threatens to tell you unless I moved away. She wanted me to make you sell the bistro to Robert and be as far away from Weatherfield as possible. I was going to tell you but you then told me about how your dad gave your mum earrings for their wedding day. Then I just thought that I couldn't let a stupid mistake ruin us. After that, I thought maybe moving away wasn't such a bad idea after all. A fresh start, just me and you. So I went with Tracy in the end and I hated every moment of it, but I truly thought it was the best for both of us. I made you sell the bistro to Robert and yeah, I gave Tracy the money so Robert can afford it. I am so sorry, I'm really am. I know how much the bistro means to you and I hated seeing you lost without it. I'm so sorry Nick, I'm sorry about everything"

Biting his lip, Nick faces Carla as he still doesn't know whether to forgive or not. He supposes she is telling the truth and realises his behaviour with the napkin was probably something to do with his injury. Although, just because she is telling the truth, it doesn't mean he will forgive her.

"Is that it or is there anything else you want to tell me?", asked Nick, again quite bluntly.

Carla looks deep into his eyes and tells him what she so desperately wants to tell him:

"I said to you that I will only tell you the truth. Well, the truth is I love you, Nick. I mean, I really love you. Our relationship has been so... so magical. I have been with so many men and none of them makes me feel the same way as you do. Peter, Frank, Tony... even Liam. You make me feel so safe, loved, special and content. I love you so much Nick, so much"

Nick scoffs, he now doesn't truly believe that she is telling the truth.

"How can I believe you? How can I be certain that you are telling the truth?"

Carla then exhales and simply says this:

"This man once told me that he read a book, when he was trying to be the next Terence Conran or Colonel Sanders; and it said there is nothing more intoxicating than certainty; because certainty is what we all want; and if you believe something enough, you will be able to persuade other people to believe it too. Well, I'm certain of this. I'm certain while there is a breath in my body, I will always love you. And I'm certain that you, even though I've got so many faults... Nick Tilsley, you're the one that I want to stay married to for the rest of my life"

Nick was speechless.

"Is that intoxicating enough for you?", Carla cries.

He didn't know what to say. He always talks about stuff that no-one really listens to. Yet what Carla just said, shows that she listens to every single word that comes out of his mouth.

"You really remembered that?", Nick whispers

"...Yeah", Carla replies through her tears.

Nick takes a deep breath and slowly lets it out:

"I... I do love you"

Suddenly, Nick gives Carla a tight hug and she keeps saying "sorry" over and over again; but Nick doesn't have to hear any more apologies. They have finally become Mr and Mrs Tilsley, and it seems like their troubles are all behind them.

But they will soon realise that this is just the beginning, and Carla isn't the only one with faults...


	3. Chapter 3

"Attention, ladies and gentleman, flight 481 to Exeter International Airport will be departing at gate 2"

Carla finished putting all her stuff into her handbag and was about to gently wake Nick up. He went to sleep ever since they sat down which was about half an hour ago. Throughout the whole day, Nick's eyes have felt so heavy that he can barely keep them open.

"Nicky come on, we have to go to gate 2", Carla said playfully.

"Fine! And don't call me Nicky!", Nick snapped at her. He's also been snappy throughout the whole day too. However, Carla just shrugs it off. She knows he's only being like that because he's tired.

* * *

Besides, their honeymoon in Paris was amazing. The sights, the culture, the romance, everything. Looking at the art in the Louvre, going up the Eiffel Tower, shopping in Champs-Élysées, it was just wonderful. The two of them have now got so many magical memories together; through laughs, romance, selfies! The whole two weeks were just about them; from sleeping till noon, watching the sunset, making love; but what they enjoyed about the honeymoon most was them reminding each other that they are now husband and wife. They often made jokes on how they couldn't stand each other when they first met in 2010:

"You were such a cow back then", Nick said

"Oh yeah? Well you were such a dick then", Carla replied

"Hmm, a big dick?"

"A massive dick"

"Well, you would know what a massive dick is when you have been in a relationship with me..."

"SHUT UP NICK!"

However, when they were having dinner at La Belle Époque, both Carla and Nick were being unusually quiet; but then they both said something at exactly the same time:

"I actually admired you back then"

It was by far their favourite moment of the honeymoon.

* * *

Arriving at their new home, Carla could barely hold in her excitement, while Nick practically ran (if he weren't so tired) to their new bed. Having brought in both of their suitcases, Carla began to call Michelle:

"Hey Carla, so how was it then?"

"Chelle, it was amazing, oh my gosh Chelle, it was actually amazing"

"Awww, what did you get up to?"

"Oh you know, seeing attractions, eating croissants, hey, we nearly made out in the pool!"

"What! Nearly?"

"Some kid made a massive splash right next to us"

"Hahaha, oh Carla, you so deserve that!"

They carried on talking about the honeymoon, then they talked about Weatherfield, then they talk about silly girly stuff.

"Oh my gosh, I forgot to ask, how's Nick?", Michelle said

"Asleep, can't you hear him snoring?", Carla replied

"Aw bless him, is it jet-lagged or something?"

Carla sighs, "I guess so, I mean, he's been tired all day, he slept the whole time when we were on the plane, even when I drove back from the airport, he just slept in the car"

"Oh, well he's probably just exhausted from the holiday. Trust me, you will end up sleeping all day soon", Michelle joked.

"Yeah... probably"

* * *

A few hours later, Carla was curled up on the sofa watching the TV. Suddenly, Nick walks in wearing his blue dressing gown.

"He's awake", Carla gasped

"Hey... sorry for being a pain today", Nick yawned

Carla went up and gave him a hug. She noticed that he still had bags under his eyes.

"Have you had something to eat?", Nick asked

"Nope", Carla replied

"What shall I make then?"

"Ummm, what about nothing? Nick, you would probably fall asleep while cutting up the vegetables! Besides, I thought we just order a takeaway"

Nick stares at Carla for a few seconds, he's too tired to even carry on the conversation.

"Nick, are you alright?", Carla finally asked with a sense of worry.

"Fine", Nick barely smiled

Holding him a bit tighter, Carla could tell that Nick wasn't being straight with her. She always gets anxious when he goes quiet.

"I told you. Fine stands for: feeling insecure, numb and empty"


	4. Chapter 4

It's been nearly a week since Nick and Carla got back from their honeymoon. They have been discussing their new, small restaurant that they have brought off the market. The two decided it was going to be a bistro and Carla kept on nudging Nick to just call it _"Nick's bistro"_ , joking how it could start a bistro chain, since Robert promise he wouldn't change the name due to the blackmail that happened. Before they brought the place, it wasn't doing too well, so both Nick and Carla decided that they needed to make some changes to make it become a successful bistro. Fortunately, the place still had some employees working there (which are all great at their job) so finding more staff wasn't really one of the things they needed to change, although the main chef that was there quit.

Finishing her breakfast, Carla waited for Nick as he gulps down his coffee. She's noticed that he has been drinking a lot of coffee lately.

"Any plans for today Tilsley?", Carla asked.

"I was thinking of going for a run a bit later, you?", Nick replied.

"Nothing much, I may do a bit of gardening while you're out"

"Since when were you into gardening?"

"I've always been into gardening, just never had a garden to do it in"

"Yeah right"

"I'm serious"

Nick smirked while he was shaking his head, he just couldn't imagine his wife who wears leather jackets and high heels, gardening.

* * *

12:30 pm, Nick was just about to leave their house to go for a run, until Carla quickly gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Be careful yeah", Carla muttered

"I'm just going to do a few laps around the park", Nick laughed

"I know, but, just be careful"

Sensing Carla's worry, Nick holds her shoulders and reassured her:

"Hey, I'm not planning on running back to Manchester! I'll be back soon, trust me"

Sighing, Carla gave Nick a quick hug and then he was off, so she began to do some gardening.

* * *

Jogging along the pavement, Nick just finished his first lap around the park. He really enjoys running: he finds it fun, it clears his mind, and he loves keeping fit. As he kept jogging, Nick was about to enter the part of the park that not many people come to- mainly because there wasn't any playing equipment around for the children to go on. However, this is Nick's favourite part of the park, since he adores the peace and quiet of it.

Suddenly, Nick stopped. He just stood still in the middle of the path for a moment. Nick began to felt really dizzy, he felt like the place was spinning and his vision went very blurry. Then, everything went black.

 _*Thump*_ , Nick collapsed onto the fall and became unconscious.


	5. Chapter 5

After a while, Nick slowly begins to wake up. He feels extremely confused, wondering what he was doing just a moment ago. Struggling to stand, Nick, manages to get himself up and rubs his head, as he still feels quite weak. Something like this has never happened before, sure he had some dizzy spells, but he has never fully fainted.

"You alright mate?"

Looking up, Nick sees a man, about the same age as him, offering his hand to help him up.

"Uh, yeah, yeah I'm fine", Nick replies while taking a hold of his hand.

"Did something happened? How come you were just sitting on the floor?", the fellow questioned.

Having gotten up, Nick notices a big, black labrador next to the stranger's leg on a leash. Some of his strength was coming back to him and he was able to become more stable with the gentleman's help.

"So, what happened?", the man asked again.

"Oh, uh, sorry. I think I just tripped over something", Nick lied- he didn't want to make a fuss about what just happened.

"Oh, ok. Well, look after yourself. By the way, are you new around here?"

Nick told him about how he and Carla moved here from Manchester, he also found out that the stranger lives on the same street as him and often walks his dog around the park about this time of day. They both decided to walk back together to their houses, chatting along the way.

"So, what do you do for a living Chris?", Nick interrogated.

"Ha, I used to be a chef, but I've recently just quit. My boss was such a pain", blushed Chris.

"Are you talking about the small restaurant?"

"No, I was talking about the one that is quite modern"

Nick smirked, he's quite delighted that the restaurant that he failed to get, also had a nightmare of a boss. So of course, Nick told Chris about his restaurant that he was re-branding at the moment and mentioned he was looking for a chef. Not believing his luck, Chris gratefully appreciated the job and both of them headed to Nick's house to discuss further details after they have dropped Buddy the dog at Chris' place.

* * *

"Oh hey, I wasn't expecting you so soon. Who this?", Carla questioned as she opened the front door.

"This is Chris, our new chef!", Nick boasted

"Hey. Nice to meet you", Chris said while offering a handshake which Carla accepted.

"Hey... So how did you two meet?"

Both Nick and Chris looked at each other, wondering how to respond to that question.

"Well, Nick tripped over, so -"

"Hahaha, we just met in the park and started chatting", Nick quickly interpreted Chris and laughed nervously. Carla wasn't fooled, however, and was starting to get annoyed at Nick for keeping stuff from her.

* * *

After deliberating the details about the job, Chris officially became their new chef and left to go back to his family, who live just down the road. A few hours later, Carla decided to talk to Nick to find out exactly what's going on:

"So, you tripped over in the park today?"

Nick was caught unaware while he was cooking the dinner:

"Yeah, and?"

Getting even more annoyed, Carla stops Nick from what he was doing, to grab his attention:

"I know something is wrong. Please stop keeping stuff from me"

Nick scoffed as he couldn't believe the hypocrisy of what Carla just said:

"That's rich coming from you"

"Nick seriously, I'm really concerned. Can you stop acting like this and just, just talk me -"

"SHUT UP, WILL YOU JUST SHUT UP YOU WHORE!"

Taken back, Carla took a couple steps away from her husband. This is the second time she has been scared of Nick:

"Don't ever talk to me like that again"

Nick was shocked by his behaviour and what he just said. Rubbing his hand behind his neck, Nick silently walked to the bedroom and gently closed the door. Carla stood still for a few seconds, then just finished off cooking the dinner.


	6. Chapter 6

Frying the eggs, Nick nearly finishes cooking the breakfast he made for himself and Carla. Sausages, bacon, beans, toast; a rich English breakfast was about to be served. All that was left was the eggs. It's just gone 8:00 am and Carla was still in bed sleeping- only, it was the bed in the guest-room (or Gail's room) that she was sleeping on.

Again, Nick couldn't get any sleep last night. After the day they got back from Paris, Nick is struggling to close his eyes and drift off into a slumber. Even during the honeymoon, he couldn't fall asleep; so throughout the whole holiday, he just kept going with coffee. It was only till they were leaving that his whole body just crash and it felt like he was catching up on all the sleep that he has lost. He gets the occasional hour or two but no more than that. For the majority of the time, he just lies there and stares at the ceiling or checks that Carla is sleeping peacefully.

"Hi. Reckon I could be the new chef instead hey?", Nick jokes as Carla walks into the room while rubbing her eyes. The smell of bread that has been lightly toasted (just how she likes it) floats into her nose as she notices the effort that Nick has made.

"That's really nice of you", Carla sighs, she still not over about what happened last night. Having noticed this, Nick goes up to her and gives her a tight hug and apologises for what happened:

"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean any of it"

Carla buries her head in Nick's shoulder. She knows that wasn't Nick yesterday, she knows that there is something wrong, she knows that her husband has a brain injury that he cannot escape from. All she wants to do is to help and she hates it how that Nick isn't giving her the chance- although she does know how hard it can be to ask for help. Then, the smell of burnt eggs runs into her nose:

"Nick, the eggs"

Looking down, Nick sees Carla pointing with her eyes towards the frying pan containing the black eggs.

"Oh damn!", shouts Nick out of frustration as he hurries to the strove to turn off the heat. Sighing, Nick automatically feels disappointed in himself:

"I never get anything right"

Hugging him from behind, Carla chuckles to herself as she comforts Nick:

"Awww, that's not true, isn't it. Come on, it's just the eggs, you've made everything else. Besides, if it was me, I would of set the house on fire by just putting the bread in the toaster!"

They both burst out laughing and Nick turns around to give Carla a kiss on her forehead- she always has a way to make him laugh.

* * *

"Mmm, this is so great", Carla says as she tucks into her breakfast.

"You make it sound like you have never eaten before", laughs Nick.

"Well, it's not every day your gorgeous husband makes you a cooked breakfast isn't it?"

"Hmm, I guess not"

"So is this what's going to happen then? You call me a whore then you cook me breakfast?"

Ashamed, Nick doesn't reply and just looks down at his plate. Knowing her husband must feel extremely guilty, Carla instantly regrets saying that:

"Hey look, I'm sorry. I guess it's too soon for jokes. But seriously Nick, just let it go. I've forgiven you now and, maybe it's time for you to forgive yourself"

"Yeah, ok", Nick mumbles. Leaning across the table, Carla reaches for Nick's lips and gives him a soft kiss, hoping that would put an end to the previous night.

* * *

"This is basically the last lazy day we are going to have", Carla says as she lies her head on Nick's chest.

"Not necessarily. We can always have the odd day off", Nick replies as he plays with Carla's hair.

"Nah, I'm happy we are opening the bistro tomorrow. I get so bored doing nothing all day"

"You know you will have to wait at tables from time to time"

"Uh, no I don't"

"Uh, yes you do"

Playfully, Carla hits Nick's thigh as she remembers back when she was being a wateriness to Sally- she just hopes that there isn't another _Sally_ in Devon.

"I'm a bit nervous you know", Nick admits.

Forcing on her husband, Carla gives him a gentle kiss on his cheek as she wonders why a successful businessman who ran a terrific bistro in Manchester would be nervous of opening one in Devon:

"Haha, what do you have to be nervous about? What could possibly go wrong?"


	7. Chapter 7

"Carla, are you nearly ready?", Nick calls from the bottom of the stairs. He's wearing a pure black suit, with a snow white, buttoned shirt, a royal blue tie (which he had to help from Carla to put it on) and shiny black shoes. It's been awhile since Nick was wearing a suit, but today is the opening of their brand new bistro in Devon- he's feeling excited yet really nervous.

"Right, I'm ready", Carla tells Nick from the top of the stairs. She's wearing a long, smart dress, that is the same colour as Nick's tie, with bold white heels. Along wearing that, her makeup look spectacular and the jewellery she is wearing, effortlessly compliments her outfit. Nick is completely stunned:

"You look- you look amazing"

Giggling, Carla strokes Nick's cheek after she came down the stairs, as she can tell that he is full of nerves:

"And you look absolutely handsome Tilsley. Now just relax, stop being nervous and just have a good time today, yeah?"

Taking a deep breath, Nick tries to let out all his nerves, as he slowly exhales:

"Ok, yeah"

* * *

They arrive at the bistro just an hour before the main event. It looks exactly like Nick's old bistro back in Manchester, however, it had the original design: with the orange walls, black chairs and white tables. Both Carla and Nick own the place as they bought it together, yet Carla was able to persuade Nick to become the manager- mainly because she can work more behind the scenes. All the staff were there including Chris, they were just getting everything prepares for the night. The event is just going to be Nick introducing the new restaurant to customers and a few critics, then it would be back to taking orders and delivering meals.

Despite the simple task, Nick is still tense, as it is clear that he wasn't able to let go of all his nerves from before. Giving him a quick kiss on his lips, Carla tries to reassure her husband, as she is full of confidence that tonight will be brilliant:

"Hey, stop worrying, everything is going to be fine. You've put a lot of work into this, just let that speak for itself"

* * *

More and more customers and critics are walking through the door and taking a seat. A lot of people have been curious about the new ownership of the small restaurant they have known for a long time. Plus, there have been tons of advertisement from both Nick, Carla and even the members of staff. All of them believe that this is the start of a very successful business.

Suddenly, Nick begins to panic as he can't find the speech that he wrote for tonight:

"Carla, where's my speech?"

Turning around, Carla can clearly see the anxiety across Nick's face:

"Well last time I check, it was on the table in the dining room. Didn't you pick it up?"

Automatically, Nick puts his head in his hands and groans loudly; he can't believe how stupid he was for forgetting to pick it up.

"Nick comes on, it's ok. Please just calm down", Carla says as she tries to comfort Nick.

"How is it ok? I can't remember any of the speech. I'm going to look like an idiot", Nick moans.

"Nick, it will be fine, trust me-"

"No, it won't"

"Yes, it will. Just say "Welcome to the bistro" and "I hope you will enjoy". It's not rocket science isn't it?"

Removing his hands from his face, Carla stares deep into his eyes before giving him a kiss on his chin. Starting to feel a lot calmer, Nick begins to try and grab the attention of the audience. With everyone now looking at him, Nick starts off his speech:

"Hi everyone. Um... welcome to the bistro, um...um..."

"My husband and I both hope you enjoy the food, the company and the atmosphere. Then, if you all enjoy it so much, we will be happy to welcome you all back here anytime. So, without further ado, Nick's Bistro is now officially open"

As the crowd gives around of applause, Carla gives Nick a tight hug. He is so grateful that she interrupts him while his mind went completely blank... but he secretly wishes that she never had to.

* * *

Watching from the bar, Carla overlooks the busy restaurant, as the waiters (including her husband) gives services to very satisfied customers. Apart from the speech (which didn't go as bad as it could have done), everything is just going smoothly. The customers may be a bit loud, but to Carla, that just means that everyone is just having a good time.

"Hey", Nick interrupts Carla's trail of thought.

"Sorry, I was miles away", Carla smiles

"Don't worry about it. Listen, I need a bottle of Barbera please"

"Coming right up"

After been given the wine, Nick goes to the elderly couple's table and hangs over the bottle.

"Oh, we order the Merlot", the husband says.

Nick looks at the bottle for a few seconds and then immediately apologises:

"I'm so sorry. I will get it to you straight away"

He keeps on forgetting people's orders, even when he writes them down on his notepad, he forgets which table he's supposed to deliver it to. Plus, the noise is getting to him as well. However, he just tries to ignore all of this and appreciate the night- even though it is becoming increasingly hard for him.

An hour later, Nick comes out of the kitchen with three plates of food. The bistro has become even more busy with more customers coming in, as the others who have finished their meal go out. It's becoming like a maze as the waiters and the customers keep moving around the place, making it very crowded. Then just out of the blue, someone bumps into Nick which makes him lose his balance and he ends up crashing the plates towards the floor.

"Watch where you are going!", Nick yells at the young wateriness.

"Sorry", the wateriness replies.

Carla quickly moves out of the bar to come to help Nick clean up the mess. She's starting to get worried about him again.

"Don't worry about it, babe. It was just accident.", Carla says, trying to put Nick's mind at ease.

"Ah forget it! I'm obviously useless aren't I!", Nick snaps while getting up and walking to the bar. His face is turning completely red and he feels very tight in his chest. The whole evening is really starting to get to Nick as he just wants this night to be perfect, yet he feels like he is just been messing it up. Finishing cleaning up the mess, Carla goes up to the customers on the table (who are very understanding) and offers them a free bottle of wine.

The bar isn't actually that big at all. There is only a small space between the wall and the counter. Nick's chest feels so tight like his heart is about to get squashed. His breathing is becoming louder and more rapid. As he slides down the wall, Nick clutches his shirt and squeezes his eyes.

This is by far the worst time for him to have a panic attack.


	8. Chapter 8

The night is going really well. Everyone in the bistro seems to be having a great time; the customers, the staff, even the critics. The atmosphere is quite hectic, but everyone appears very relaxed and calm. All of this though is just makes Nick feel even more isolated from his surroundings.

He is getting a lot worse. Sweating, trembling, having tingling fingers, Nick feels like he is going insane. Clinging onto his shirt, Nick's heart is beeping ridiculously fast as if it is going to jump out of his body. His breathing is getting more and more rapid like he is completely out of breath. The whole place looks like it spinning around him, making him extremely dizzy. Covering his eyes with his shaking hand, Nick desperately tries to control himself, but the noise of the restaurant makes him even more unsteady.

One of the waiters spots Nick sitting on the floor with his back against the wall, covered in sweat patches.

"Nick, sir are you alright?", asks the waiter, full of concern.

Still covering his eyes, the bistro's owner makes an attempt to reply but struggles to say even a word, due to him hyperventilating. Having heard someone breathing quite loudly, Chris comes out of the kitchen (which is very close to the bar) and sees the young waiter beside someone who is clearly suffering a panic attack.

"Jack, call an ambulance", Chris demands.

As Jack dials 999, Chris crouches down to Nick's level and tries to help him:

"Nick, I need you calm down mate. Just slow down your breathing"

Hearing Chris' advice, Nick removes his trembling hand from his eyes, yet he struggles to control his breathing.

"I feel like- I feel like I'm going to die", Nick struggles to say.

"You're not dying. You're just having a panic attack. You're going to be fine"

Beating more and more faster, Nick's heart is banging so much, it is physically hurting him. Drowning in his own sweat, he has never felt something like this before. All the other panic attacks he has had don't even compare to this one. He generally starts to believe that he is having some sort of heart attack.

A wateriness goes up to the bar to collect some drinks, oblivious to what is going on behind it.

"Oh my gosh, is he alright?", she asks.

"Of course he isn't. Get Carla quickly Kym", orders Chris.

Rushing towards Carla (who is still talking to the customers about the restaurant), Kym grabs her attention and begins to tell her what is going on:

"It's Nick. He's having some kind of attack behind the bar"

Horrified, Carla charges towards the bar (followed by Kym) and spots Nick on the floor, in an awful state.

"Oh, my gosh, what's going on?", Carla says full of worry.

"I don't know. I think he is having some sort of panic attack. Jack is just on the phone to an ambulance", Chris replies.

Carla reaches over to Nick and puts her hand on his shoulder, as Kym watches from behind.

"Baby look at me. You're going to be fine, I promise. Just try and calm yourself down", reassures Carla.

As he looks up towards his wife, Nick suddenly feels completely trapped, with everyone invading his space. Closing his eyes, his breathing is getting very intense and now it's so loud, it is suffocating the whole bistro.

"Shh, baby, shh. Please stop Nick, please", Carla cries.

The ambulance arrives and the paramedics walk pass the customers (who are sitting very awkwardly) towards Nick.

"Alright. I need everyone to move out of the way to give us some space please", commands the paramedic.

As the staff moves out of the way, Carla stays by Nick's side, still holding her hand onto his shoulder.

"Please, he's my husband. Please help him", Carla cries.

"We will, but first, you need to calm yourself down, otherwise you'll be making the situation worse", the paramedic replies.

Wiping her tears, Carla lets go of Nick, allowing the paramedic to treat him.

"What's his name?", he asks.

"Nick", Carla tells him.

"Ok Nick, my name is Alan. I'm here to help you. First, I need you to open your eyes. Think you can do that for me?"

Following Alan's advice, Nick viciously opens his eyes, revealing them to be fully red, as his tears are completely stinging them.

"Good. Now I need you to look at me Nick"

Slowly, Nick moves his pupils towards Alan, totally focus on him.

"Great. Now what I'm going to tell you to do now is going to be quite hard. I want you to breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth"

Nick begins to do exactly that, however, he is still breathing very fast.

"Good, good, but I want you to do it slowly now. This may take a while, but I want you to do the same thing as I am doing"

Alan then starts to slowly breathe in through his nose and out through his mouth; acting as a guide for Nick.

Watching from behind, Carla is finding it very difficult seeing her husband in this state. She has never seen him like this before and it is utterly haunting her. The worst thing about it is that she doesn't even know what to do, making her feel incredibly helpless.

* * *

A few minutes later, Nick's breathing has significantly slowed down. The attack is starting to wear off, but he still feels too weak to get up.

"That's really good Nick, well done. What's going to happen now is that one of the paramedics is getting a wheelchair. We're going to help you get into the wheelchair and put you in the ambulance, so we can go off to a hospital", Alan says gently.

Slightly nodding, Nick is helped into the wheelchair by Alan and another paramedic, then they start to hold off to the ambulance.

"Can I come with you? Please", Carla begs.

"Of course you can", Alan smiles.

* * *

As they head off to the hospital, Carla focuses on Nick while he's still recovering from his attack. This whole incident has made her really scared. She wonders if this is a one-off... or if this is part of his brain injury.


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: Kylie will not die in this story**

* * *

"You're doing really well Nick, you should be feeling a lot better now", Alan says as Nick continues to inhale and exhale slowly. Both Nick, Alan and Carla were in a spare patient's room. It's been a few minutes since they have arrived and Nick has significantly calmed down, while he sits in the wheelchair. Watching from the other side of the room, Carla keeps on reminding herself that she has stayed strong, yet she's struggling to hold back the tears.

"Ok... ok, I'm fine now", Nick exhales, he hasn't said anything since they left the Bistro.

"Are you sure? There's no need to rush", reassures Alan.

"No, it's fine. I'll feel a lot better now"

"You sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure"

As Nick gets off the wheelchair, Carla smiles, while her tears gently roll down her cheeks. It was really tough for her to see Nick in that state, but she's relieved that he has fully recovered from his attack.

"Ok, shall we go then Carla?", Nick asks his wife which caught her off guard. The way he said it so casually made it sound like nothing just happened. It was like they were about to leave a shop, not a hospital.

"Hang on, wait a sec. There is still some stuff I need to talk to you about", Alan declares, just before Nick opens the door.

"Like what?", Nick snaps as he turns around to look at the paramedic. The worry that Carla had towards Nick has now turned into anger, as she cannot understand why her husband is suddenly being completely rude to the man who has done nothing but helped him as he was having a terrible attack. She's really has had enough of Nick's ill-mannered behaviour:

"What do you mean " _like what"_? Do you have any idea what Alan has done for you? He just helped you recover from a panic attack and you haven't even said thank you. What on earth is wrong with you Nick?!"

Giving him some home truths, Nick gazes at Carla as he swallows his guilt. Plus, he knew that when Carla said, _"What on earth is wrong with you Nick?!",_ she wasn't just talking about today.

"I'm sorry. It's um... it's been a long day. Thanks um, I mean thank you for all your help", Nick tells Alan, to which he smiles and nods:

"No problem, just doing my job. But I still need to talk to you and Carla. It's that alright?"

"Of course it is", Carla replies while Nick walks up to her and sits next to her.

"Ok, so Nick, have you had a panic attack before?", Alan asks.

"Um yeah, but it's never been this bad", Nick replies.

"Have you been to see your GP about them?"

"No. Um, the thing is, um..."

Nick stops midway on what he was saying and turns to look at Carla.

"I'm sorry. I'm really sorry", he apologises. Carla looks down for a second and then looks back to Nick:

"Don't worry about it. Just tell Alan about your injury"

"Injury?", Alan questions.

"Yeah, I have a brain injury. I sustain it in an accident three years ago. I got treated for it, but I still get the symptoms from it. One of those symptoms is panic attacks", Nick explains as Carla holds his hand.

"I see. So I suppose these panic attacks are not going to go anytime soon then", Alan jokes.

"Yeah, I suppose you can say that", Nick chuckles.

"Well if that's the case, it's important that I tell you two what to do for when it does happen again"

Both Carla and Nick nod as Alan gives them a piece of paper and a pen for the two to make some notes. He then gives them an explanation of what to do when Nick has another panic attack:

"Ok. Well, it's important to know that a panic attack can't harm you in any way. So, you should always have that in the back of your mind Nick anytime you have another one. It would be great if you can remind him of this Carla. The breathing techniques that I taught you, make sure you do them every single time you have a panic attack. So, breathe in slowly, deeply and gently through your nose and breathe out slowly, deeply and gently through your mouth. You can even do it in front of him Carla for Nick to copy. You could even close your eyes, Nick, if that helps, and picture something that makes you feel calm while focusing on your breathing. Having said this, it's very important that you don't try and fight the attack, otherwise, you will be making a lot worse. Just, try and ride it out. The attack should last between five to twenty minutes. If it still carries on after twenty minutes, then you should call an ambulance, but other than that, there isn't really any need to call 999. The only reason that we brought Nick here is that the attack lasted for about half an hour. Perhaps it is because you guys didn't really know what to do and actually you may have been making it a lot worse. But I can see you have taken some notes, so hopefully, now, you will be able to handle it in the future"

As Carla folds her piece of paper and puts it into her handbag, Alan looks directly at Nick and talks to him very seriously:

"Listen, Nick, I would strongly advise you to go and see your GP as soon as possible. You need to them about your other symptoms from your head injury. It's really important that you do. It's better that you face your problems head-on than to hide away from them"

Nick takes a deep breath, while Carla lets out a giggle.

"Hehe, sorry for the pun", Alan chuckles.

"Hehe, don't worry about it", Carla laughs.

"What, what pun?", Nick asks which causes Carla to sigh.

"I think they open from 8 am till 6:30 pm", Alan says.

"Ok, thank you. I will book an appointment at 8 am sharp", Carla replies.

"Good"

"Thank you so much, Alan, for everything you have done. You have been an amazing. We're really grateful for all the help you have done"

"Hehe, it's nothing really"

Nick looks down at the floor. He's thinking about his marriage to Leanne and how it broke down when she couldn't cope with his injury.

"Ok, well, that's it really", Alan says.

"Ok, well thank you again", Carla replies.

"No problem"

As Carla walks out to call for a taxi, Nick turns around to face Alan:

"Thank you for everything you have done today"

Alan smiles as he can tell Nick was being very sincere:

"You're welcome. Look after yourself"

Nick nods as he leaves the room. He sees Carla still talking on her phone to get a taxi. It is not like he is scared of what his injury can do to him, he's scared of what his injury can do to other people. He's scared of what his injury can do to Carla.


	10. Chapter 10

"Nick, are you sleeping?", Carla asks. He replies with a deep sigh, while he stares at the ceiling.

"I'll take that as a no", she mutters. She leans over and wraps her arms around him. Looking deep into his eyes, Carla softly kisses him on the cheek and whispers into his ear:

"We're gonna sort this out. I promise"

Moving his vision from the ceiling to the door right in front of him, Nick begins to spin around his thumbs, as he wonders if his wife can keep such a promise:

"I'll get this sorted, this shouldn't have to be your problem"

Squeezing him a bit tighter, Carla rubs her hand down Nick's arm and softly tells him what she thinks he needs to hear:

"Listen. When we got married, my problems became your problems and your problems became my problems. Whatever happens to either of us, we will get through it together. Neither of us will face anything alone now"

As each word touches his heart, Nick turns around so that his whole body is now facing his wife.

"I'm struggling Carla. I'm really struggling", Nick says as he buries his head into Carla's chest.

"It's going to be ok. We will get through this together", she replies.

* * *

Walking into the living room, Carla spots Nick writing a list on a piece of paper.

"What this?", she asks.

"It's just a list of my symptoms, so I don't forget any of them", Nick replies. He then begins to pick up the phone and dials 999.

"Um Nick, that isn't the right number", Carla giggles. Ending the call, Nick slams the phone down towards the sofa and storms out, making Carla sigh.

"Since you're so clever, why don't you make the bloody phone call?", he snaps just before he leaves the room. Turning her attention from her husband to the clock, she glances at the time which shows it is 7:50 am- even if Nick did had the right number, the GP wouldn't even be open yet. Carla picks up the list to read off the symptoms he has put:

 _Sleeping probems_

 _Blcakouts_

 _Panic atacks_

 _Outbusts_

 _Memory laspes_

 _Headches_

As she read the list, Carla was tempted to put _spelling issues_ , but she didn't want to make Nick feel even more embarrassed than he already does.

* * *

"Ok, thank you very much. Ok, bye", Carla says as she hangs up the phone. Looking for Nick, she finds him on his laptop in the dining room.

"That was the doctor. The appointment is on Tuesday at eleven", she tells Nick. He's still looking at his computer, reading something off the screen.

"Alright. Thank you", he mutters. As Carla walks into the kitchen, she notices Nick having trouble with his laptop.

"Work you stupid laptop!", Nick shouts.

"What's wrong with it?", Carla sighs.

"It's just frozen! That's what's wrong with it!"

"Just leave it for a few minutes, it will probably-"

Out of rage, Nick grabs his laptop and throws it across the room, cracking the screen. Straight away, he puts his head into his hands.

"Well I suppose that didn't help", Carla chuckles nervously while walking to the laptop.

"Sorry", Nick says.

"Don't worry about it. Besides, at least it isn't my laptop"

As she picks it up, she notices a worrying statistic:

 _Between 20%-50% of marriages end in divorce when one of the partners obtains a head injury._


	11. Chapter 11

Holding each other hands, Nick and Carla walk out of the doctors and head towards their car. The GP has recommended them to see a consultant who specialises in head injury. They both agree to go to same private hospital Nick went to in Manchester to see the consultant. As they get into the car, Carla glances at Nick and wonders what is going on in his head:

"Are you alright babe?"

Nick lays the side of his head on the window:

"I've got a headache"

Carla reaches over and kisses the other side of his head while getting some paracetamol out of her handbag. She handles it over Nick with a water bottle and he gratefully takes it, then he swallows the tablet.

* * *

As they arrive home, Carla automatically phones the consultant, while Nick starts to cook the dinner. He is only cooking a frozen pizza since he feels really tired from the long day and the lack of sleep. Watching his wife talking on the phone, Nick is terrified of what the consultant is going to say. Will his injury ever go away? Will it be with him for the rest of his life? Will he be able to be a suitable husband? Will Carla end up being his carer?

"Nick, Nick!"

Catching him out of his trance, Nick turns to look at his wife as she has finished her phone call:

"What is it?"

"That was the consultant. We will be seeing her the day after tomorrow"

"Ok"

Noticing Nick's fear, Carla walks up to him and gives him a hug to comfort him.

"Listen, let's just wait till we see the consultant, instead of dealing with _ifs_ and _buts_ ", reassures Carla.

Nodding, Nick smiles and his fear has been lowered down- Carla always had a way of calming him down.

* * *

"Sorry for the wait. My name is Jane and I assume you're Nick?", asks Jane.

"Well, it's a good assumption considering he's the only man here", jokes Carla.

The three of them chuckle before they took a seat.

"So Nick, your GP has sent me the symptoms in his referral, but if you can tell me them yourself?", Jane tells Nick.

"Yeah sure. Um, I have um... I have trouble sleeping, I get headaches, panic attacks, blackouts, um... memory lapses, sudden outbursts of angry, mood swings, all sorts of things", Nick replies.

"Ok. Well, all the symptoms you just said, apart from the sleeping problem and the blackouts, are very common long-term effects for people who have a brain injury. Let's talk about your trouble of getting to sleep and these blackouts first"

"Alright"

"First, the sleeping problem. How much sleep do usually get a night?"

"Um, hardly any, usually. I mean, I sometimes get the odd hour or two but no more than that. I normally just stare at the ceiling, trying to fall asleep, but I just can't. Then there would be one day when I wouldn't do anything else but sleep, as if my whole body just crash and it is like it is catching up on all the sleep I have lost"

"Hmm, I see. When you haven't been sleeping, do you feel tired throughout the day?"

"Yes, very. I can only get through the day by drinking lots of coffee"

"Oh. Well, you shouldn't be doing that. It would only make the problem even worse"

"So what shall I do then!"

Carla quickly calms down Nick after he snapped at Jane.

"Sorry", Nick apologises.

"That's ok. I'm suspecting that you may have some type of sleep pattern disorder. Hmm, you go through a long period of time without sleeping, then you would have an episode when you would sleep for a long period of time?"

"Yeah, something like that"

"Ok, here's what we are going to do. I'm going to give you a sleeping timetable. I need you to fill in the amount of hours of sleep you get for both the daytime and the nighttime every day for two weeks. After the two weeks, I want you to come back and see me, then we will go through the timetable and I would be able to make a proper diagnosis after that. Once you had a diagnosis, we would then talk about how we are going to treat it"

"Alright"

"Now for the blackouts. How many blackouts have you had since you obtain your injury?"

"Well, I had a few when I was in hospital but then I suddenly had one just recently, although there have been times where I have felt quite dizzy"

"Ok. What were you doing when you had the blackout?"

"I was... um, I was... I can't remember... I think I went out for a run"

"Alright. I'm not too concern about the blackouts you had in the hospital, that's quite common for someone who has been in a coma. This recent blackout may have been a one-off. Although if you have another one, you need to contact me straight away. You may have a form of epilepsy"

Carla gasps, "Oh my gosh! Isn't that what David's got?"

"Um, yeah", Nick mutters.

"It's quite rare but it can be an after effect for people with a head injury", says Jane.

"Ok. So what shall I do if he has another one?", Carla panics.

Jane goes to her draw and takes out a pamphlet, then hands it to Carla.

"Here. This such have all the information you need", Jane replies.

"Ok, thank you", says Carla.

After that, Jane told Nick and Carla that the other symptoms are very common long-term effects for people with head injuries. She explains that in many cases, people who have a brain injury take a long time to make a full recovery. Going through the symptoms one by one, she suggested the following: for the headaches, she prescribed Nick with some headache medication, for the panic attacks, she said to stick with Alan's advice and for the angry outbursts and mood swings, she recommends for to Nick to see a therapist.

"Now, that just leaves us with the memory lapses", Jane tells Nick and Carla, while they both note down everything that Jane has been saying.

"These memory lapses can come in all shapes and sizes. However, what is important here is not to panic. When it does happen, it's best just to stay calm, regarding how big the lapse is. The thing to remember is that the lapse is temporary, so you're not losing your memory and it will fade after a while. It can be scary at times if it is a really big lapse, but don't panic too much when it happens"

Both Nick and Carla look slightly confused, as Nick has been very forgetful at times, but it was only on small stuff. Even so, they note it down.

"Is there anything else?", Jane asks.

"Nope. I think that's everything", Carla replies.

"Ok, well, here is the sleeping timetable and the prescription. If there is anything else you want to ask, just let me know"

"Thank you. Thank you very much"

As Carla walks out the room, Nick offers to shake Jane's hand:

"Thank you for everything you have done today"

Receiving it, Jane replies, "You're welcome. I'm just doing my job"

* * *

As Carla drives back, all Nick can think about is everything Jane has said today, especially when she said it is going to be a long recovery. _Long recovery_ , this annoys Nick. It has been years since his accident and just when he thinks he has moved on from it, his injury is back now to haunt him again.


	12. Chapter 12

Reading through the pamphlet, Carla is welcome by a soft kiss on the lips and a blanket to lie on her legs, all bought by Nick. In return, she gives a huge grin.

"What you reading?", Nick asks.

"Oh, just the pamphlet that the consultant gave us. Jane was her name right?", Carla replies.

"Yeah. Jeez, babe, I thought I was the one with a dodgy memory!"

"Hey!"

Carla hits Nick on his arm playfully which makes him laugh out loud. It is coming towards 7:30 pm and Nick just finished emptying the dishwasher; he's now cuddling his wife and they both share the same blanket.

"You really didn't have to do that. I could have done it tomorrow", says Carla.

"Don't worry about it. I'm not completely useless you know!", Nick chuckles.

"I never said you were"

Giving Carla a cheeky grin, Nick's attention then turns to the pamphlet and he sighs:

"What does it say then?"

Noticing her husband's sudden discomfort of the small leaflet she holds in her hand, Carla thought it was best just to tell him everything she has read up so far:

"Well, it says that if you don't regain consciousness within 2 minutes, then I will have to call an ambulance, so that means I have to time every time you have a blackout"

Rubbing his hand behind his neck, Nick suddenly notices Carla pointing to the floor:

"What is it?"

Showing Nick pages from the pamphlet, Carla explains why she wants Nick to be on the floor:

"It's showing me what to do if you have a blackout. So, lie on the floor so I can practise on you"

Nick frowns, "Practice on me? I'm not a cute guinea pig, dear"

Carla then returns the same frown, "No, I don't mean it like that. It's just... If it does happen again, I want to have some idea on what to do"

Nick begins to giggles as he finds the way Carla is frowning now adorable; like a little girl being denied of sweets.

"Ok, ok, I will go onto the floor", Nick says as he starts to lay down onto the floor.

"Alright. Act like you just fainted", Carla instructs.

Nick stretches out his arms and lays his tongue on the side of his mouth like a corpse.

"Babe, take it seriously! Stop joking around"

"Alright, alright. Ok, just fainted, right"

Nick then turns his head to Carla and closes his eyes.

"Ok, first I need to move any objects that can get in the way"

Carla pretends to move the objects out of the way.

"What are you doing?", Nick asks after he opens his eyes.

"I'm moving the objects", Carla replies.

"There isn't anything here"

"Yes I know, but I'm just pretending. Hey, you're supposed to be unconscious! Stop talking!"

"Alright, alright, I'm unconscious. I can't talk. I need you to help me or I will die and haunt you from beneath the grave, _ooooh_ "

Nick then sits up and makes ghostly actions.

"Nicholas I swear, if you stop acting like a kid, I will knock you out myself! Then you will definitely be unconscious", Carla moans.

"Fine, fine. I will just lie on the floor, eyes closed, no sounds, like I am utterly unconscious", Nick giggles.

"Thank you Tilsley. Now let's get this over and done with"

Nick then lays back down, closes his eyes and moves his head towards Carla.

"Alright, then I have to kneel down beside you and I have to put your arm that is closest to me at a right angle, so it is bent at the elbow, facing upwards"

Carla puts Nick's arm that is closest to her at a right angle.

"Now, I have to pick up your other hand with my palm against yours. Then, I have to place the back of your hand to the opposite cheek. I have to keep my hand there to guide and support your head"

Carla puts Nick's hand furthest away from her to his cheek and she keeps her hand there.

"Next, I need to use my other hand to bend your knee that is furthest from me, so your foot is flat on the floor"

Carla then bends Nick's knee.

"Then, with my hand still on your knee, I have to pull your knee towards me, so that you roll over, facing me"

Nick quickly opens his eyes:

"Alright. But I'm not going to move a muscle, so you have to roll me over by yourself"

"Yes, I know! Besides, it says your body weight so help me roll you quite easily"

After Nick closes his eyes, Carla rolls him over onto his side.

"Now I have to move your bent leg away from your body, so that is resting on the floor"

Carla moves the leg onto the floor.

"Lastly, I have to gently raise your chin to tilt your head sightly"

Carla tilts Nick's head.

"Ta-da! That's it", Carla squeals.

"Wait, that's it?", Nick asks after he opens his eyes.

"Yeah, that's it. I know how to do it now"

"Hahaha, no you don't"

"What do you mean _I don't_?"

"You didn't do it in one go. You did step by step, you sounded like a tutorial!"

"Oh yeah. Well pretend you have fainted again and I will do it in one go. This time, don't mess around!"

"I won't. I promise"

Nick then gets into the same position again, as if he just fainted, and Carla manages to put him in the recovery position in one go.

"Yes, yes! I did it! I did it!", Carla cheers while punching her hands into the air.

* * *

It's getting to 10:00 pm and both Carla and Nick are in bed.

"Oh, my gosh babe. I'm so glad I got that recovery position right", boasts Carla.

"Well done Mrs Tilsley", Nick congratulates, then he puts his arms around her with both of his hands reaching each other behind her back and kisses her on the lips. The kiss gets more and more passionate.

"Hehe, easy tiger", Carla chuckles while sightly pushing Nick back.

"Ah, sorry. I guess we should call it a night, we have got work in the morning", Nick sighs.

"Haha. Don't worry about. Make sure you fill in that sleeping timetable"

"Will do"

Carla then lays down on the bed facing her husband and closes her eyes:

"Night Nick"

Nick then does the same:

"Night Carla"

By his surprise, he drifts off to sleep.


	13. Chapter 13

The alarm goes off at 7:00 am and Carla gets up while stretching her arms wide. She takes a big yawn, opens her eyes and then switches off the alarm clock.

"Nicky, time to wake up", Carla gently shakes Nick, who is lying on his side facing away from her with his right arm across his body and his left arm lying on the bed at a right angle, with his hand of the pillow facing upwards- it looks like he's in a very restful slumber. He doesn't respond to Carla.

"Nicky come on, we need to go to work", Carla tells Nick again gently. Still no response.

"Nick?"

"Hmm?", Nick replies which eases Carla's panic.

"Oh my gosh. Don't do that! I thought something bad happens to you. Come on then, wake up, get ready for work", Carla exhales.

"Hmm", Nick replies. He's still in the same position, with his eyes peacefully closed.

"Well ok... I'll just go into the shower then", Carla says to Nick awkwardly.

* * *

Coming out of the shower, Carla goes back into the bedroom to get dress. She then spots Nick still asleep in their bed.

"Ok Nick, the shower is free. Come on, get up", Carla sighs. Again, no response. As she gets dress, Nick moves his right arm so that his hand is now clutching the pillow, then he buries his head into the pillow.

"Nick come on! Get up! This is getting ridiculous now", Carla groans while shaking Nick again, this time a bit more roughly. She notices that he opens his eyes briefly but then he closes them quite rapidly.

Sighing, Carla looks up upon the dressing table and notices the sleeping timetable that they receive from Jane the consultant. Like a frying pan being hit on her head to give her some common sense, Carla gets off the bed and adjusts the duvet, to make sure Nick is completely comfortable.

"I'll see you later babe", she says to her husband while she heads downstairs.

* * *

"Hey, Carla, you're alright? Where's Nick?", Chris asks, obvious to the problems Nick is facing due to his injury.

"Hi, I'm fine thanks. To be honest, I don't think Nick is coming in today", Carla replies.

"Oh no. Is he ill or something?"

"Umm, wait a sec"

Carla then walks behind the bar and Chris quickly follows her for a private chat.

"You remember that panic attack Nick had a few days ago?", Carla mutters.

"Yeah. What did the doctor say about it?", Chris asks.

"Well, it's is to do with his brain injury. He was involved in a car crash about three years ago and it gave him brain damage. He gets all sort of symptoms because of it"

"Jeez, poor Nick"

"One of the symptoms is obviously panic attacks, but another one is he has sleeping problems. He hardly gets any sleep, but when he does, he's literally out for the whole day"

"Jeez Carla, I don't know what to say"

"Don't worry about it. Just um, when he's working here, can you um, could you keep an eye on him please"

"Yeah sure"

"And um, could you keep this to ourselves?"

"Of course"

Having a sigh of relief, Carla thanks Chris sincerely, as they both finish setting up the bistro. Even though they've known each other for only over a week, Carla feels like she can trust Chris completely. He reminds her of Nick, in fact, he reminds her of when she saw Nick being successful in the bistro a few years ago, as she told him that the best thing to ever happen to him was him leaving the knicker factory. Calm, clever, caring... Chris is everything Carla feels like the current Nick is struggling to be at the moment.

* * *

Closing the door behind her, Carla walks upstairs to check on Nick and she can already hear him snoring. She goes into the room to find Nick still laying on the same side of the bed, with his body on one side and his hand clutching the pillow.

"Hey, babe. I'm just about to put the dinner on. I'm thinking of doing tuna pasta bake. Is that alright with you?", Carla tells Nick.

"Hmm", Nick mumbles.

* * *

"Babe, dinner's ready", Carla says as she enters the bedroom. She gets no reply.

"Nick, the dinner is ready", Carla sighs as she comes closer to Nick, gently rubbing his shoulder.

"Yeah...ok", Nick barely mumbles with his eyes still peaceful closed.

"Ok, well, just come down when you're ready, it will be in the microwave", Carla replies before she gives Nick a small kiss on his cheek.

* * *

Lying all over the sofa, Carla is hardly paying any of her attention to the T.V, instead, all her concentration seems to be on the idea of her being a carer. Well, she doesn't mind looking after Nick at all; it's not like she hasn't had to look after the man that she loves before. Take Peter for an example, she always made sure he was in full control over his drinking- even when she was struggling to be in control of it herself! Nevertheless, in a way, she does owe Nick a lot. He helps her with the fire, the gambling, finding out about Johnny; he even forgave her about Robert. So when compared to what's she been through and the type of relationships she's had, this should be a walk in the park!

However, it's really not that simple, is it? This injury won't go away, Nick's brain damage won't suddenly disappear. No, it's stuck with them forever. But, it's not too bad, is it? Everyone forgets stuff from time to time; she knows how to do the recovery position when it's needed and after they have completed the sleeping timetable, they can get the medication needed to fix his sleeping pattern. It's just... his anger... his anger problems. She knows that's not him. She knows that he doesn't mean anything by it. She knows it kills him when he realises he has lost control. Taking a big gulp of her red wine, she quietly giggles at herself at the thought of Nick suddenly hitting her. Hitting her out of the blue. One day she forgets to buy some muesli then all of a sudden *smack*, a big red mark on her face. Laughing a bit louder, she's thinking she's mad for finding something like that funny. The only excuse she has is that she has survived much worse. The fire (too many to count), the minibus crash, falling out of a car. Gosh, when compared to that, Nick gives her a smack because she wants to change the channel seems pretty timid.

Putting her glass down on the floor, she rubs her eyes as she tries to hold back the tears. Her emotions have changed. They are not tears of laughter, but tears of sadness, fear, as the reality of Nick's symptoms starts to truly hit her.

* * *

He staggers into the kitchen, gets his plate out of the microwave, then staggers into the dining room. It's about 8:30 pm and Nick is just about nibbling on his food, still wearing his pyjamas.

"Thought I heard you coming downstairs", Carla says as she walks into the room.

"Hmm, how was work?", Nick replies as he starts to eat more quickly.

"Work was fine. Did you write in how many hours you've slept today in that timetable thing?"

"Uh, no"

Carla just looks down onto the floor then looks back up to Nick, giving him an awkward smile:

"Ok, well we went to bed around 10 last night. Have you literally been sleeping throughout the whole day?"

Nick gives a short reply, "Yes".

"Hahaha, well you've been sleeping for 22 hours and 30 mins. Wow, some people have it easy don't they!"

Nick doesn't reply and he carries on eating his dinner.

"Well, I just put that on the timetable then, sleepy-head", Carla teases.

"I'm glad you find it fucking funny", Nick snaps.

Taken aback, Carla walks up to the opposite side of the table so she is facing Nick:

"Of course I don't find it funny. Listen, I know this is tough, but it would be easier if you won't being so rude"

"Sorry. I'm sorry", Nick apologises sincerely.

"It's fine", Carla sighs before she starts to head upstairs.

"But Carla-"

"Yeah"

"... Don't pretend you know how tough it is to have a brain injury"


	14. Chapter 14

It's 2:00 am. Both Nick and Carla are in their bed. Carla's fast asleep; lying on one side of her body, facing towards Nick, her head laying comfortably on the pillow and the rest of her body underneath the big, soft duvet. Meanwhile, Nick is staring towards the ceiling, twiddling his thumbs. It's gotten to the point where he's given up trying to force himself to sleep. Instead, he just waits for the alarm to go off, and every once in awhile, he looks at Carla to check if she's ok.

It's not that he doesn't want to fall asleep, he just can't. No matter how tired he is, Nick just can't feel relax and calm. Every time he closes his eyes, his mind feels all muddle and his body gets tense.

Then, Nick adjusts his position, making him now face away from Carla and towards the dark room. Burying his head in his pillow, Nick watches the digital clock glowing in the darkness. Each second that goes pass feels like an entire year.

"Get off...Get off...Get off Frank! Frank get off! GET OFF! GET OFF ME! GET OFF!"

"Hey, hey, hey! Carla, Carla!"

Full of concern, Nick desperately tries to wake up Carla. He turns on the lamp on the bedside and shakes her while calling out her name.

Suddenly, Carla opens her eyes and lets out a deafening scream.

"Get off! GET OFF ME!", Carla yells, pushing Nick back.

"Hey Carla, Carla! It's me, it's Nick", Nick tells her.

Taking a deep breath, Carla focuses her eyes on her worried husband.

"It's ok, you just had a nightmare. It's ok, you're safe now"

Looking deep into his eyes, Carla clutches Nick's shirt and sobs into his chest.

"Shh, shh, it's ok, it's ok", Nick says as he slowly rocks her back and forth, trying to comfort his wife.

For the rest of night, Carla laid in Nick's arms as Nick strokes her hair. They both struggle to get any sleep.


	15. Chapter 15

Brushing her teeth, Carla can't help to notice the bags under her eyes. It's been awhile since she has had _that_ nightmare. The last time she had it was when she and Nick were still in Manchester. It embarrasses her so much when she knows she had one of her nightmares, the way she screams and cries throughout the night, she has no idea how Nick can put up with that. Though she's grateful that Nick is there for her, he reacts brilliantly every time she has a nightmare. His voice is so comforting and she feels so protected in his arms, yet no matter how safe she feels, Carla still struggles to get back to sleep.

Walking into the kitchen, she spots Nick making pancakes.

"Hey! Sit down, sit down please, I want to show you something", Nick squeals with excitement.

Carla goes to the breakfast table and sits down while she watches Nick grabbing the frying pan.

"Ok, are you ready?", Nick says before he makes a perfect attempt of flipping the pancake in the air.

"Ta-da! I did it, first try too!", Nick smiles.

Carla can't help but to giggle to herself; she can't believe she has such an amazing husband.

"Ok, we have: cream, strawberries, sugar, lemon, syrup and... NUTELLA! What do you want to have?", Nick asks as he places a pancake on each of the two plates.

Showing a big grin on her face, Carla replies, "I'll have all of them please"

"All of them? That's so much sugar. Have you not just brush your teeth?"

"Yeah, but does it look like I care Nicholas?"

"Woah, ok! Well, I'm just going to have strawberries because I'm going to stick to being healthy"

"HEALTHY? You're having a bloody pancake"

"Well, I've picked the healthier option"

Carla bursts out in laughter. Nick then gives Carla her pancake and the toppings make a smiley face on the pancake. Again, Carla bursts out laughing. She puts cream on Nick's nose and just before he begins to groan, she gives him a big kiss on his lips. Chuckling to himself, Nick wipes off the cream and just smiles at his glamorous wife.

"Ugh, I need to put so much makeup on to get rid of these bags", Carla moans.

"I don't think you do. You look beautiful", Nick replies.


	16. Chapter 16

It's not too busy in the bistro, it's just the regulars who are inside the small restaurant- a few middle-age workers, the same three women who seem to be sisters and the two couples who always sit on either side in the restaurant; an elderly couple who are sitting on a small round table, and a teenage couple who are sitting in the corner.

Both Nick and Carla watch the customers from behind the bar.

"You seem tired", Nick tells Carla.

"Ugh, it is obvious? I thought I got rid of those bags with my makeup", Carla groans.

"No, no, I didn't mean it like that. Your makeup looks flawless like it always does. It's just that I can tell that you're tired because I know what it's like. Having to go through the next day without any sleep, and you just seem less energetic like you usually are"

Carla turns to her husband and gives him a hug. She can barely get through today with her not getting any sleep, so she can only imagine what it must be like for Nick who hardly ever gets any sleep.

As she hugs her lover, she watches the teenage couple kissing each other and giggling towards themselves. She watches them and thinks of all the moments her and Nick have shared together. Meanwhile, Nick watches the elderly couple on the other side of the restaurant, holding hands, smiling at each other, gazing into each other's eyes. He watches them and thinks of all the moments he and Carla have to look forward to.

"Tell you what, let me make you a coffee", Nick says to Carla.

"You're going to make me coffee?", Carla replies.

"Of course! Trust me, this is the only thing that gets me through the day. I'll make it just how you like"

Carla smiles: "Thank you, Nick".

* * *

Sundays are the days Carla craves for. The bistro is only open from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, so they have the rest of the day to spend with each other. Today, both Nick and Carla decided to cuddle up on the sofa and watch the film, "When Harry met Sally".

Nick was just putting the DVD inside the DVD player and Carla was curled up on the sofa with a blanket laying on top of her.

"Babe, can you get the popcorn please", asks Carla.

Nick turns around and shows her a smug.

"Please, pretty please", Carla begs, giving her best puppy eyes.

"Fine, I'll get the popcorn", Nick chuckles.

"And can it be in a bowl so we can share please"

"Yes, _your majesty_ "

Laughing out loud, Carla watches her husband walk into the kitchen. She grins to herself and plays with her hair as she can hear Nick putting the popcorn into the bowl. _How did she get so lucky?_ Every time she looks at Nick, that's the first thought that comes to her head. He is the most thoughtful, funny and sweetness person she has ever known. Being able to call herself _"Mrs Tilsley"_ is the biggest thing she has ever been grateful for.

 _*Smashes*_

Out of the blue, Carla seems to hear a bowl that has been smashed to the floor.

"Nick?", Carla calls out.

No response.

"Nick!", Carla shouts.

Again, no response.

Taking a deep breath, Carla gets off the sofa and heads towards the kitchen.

She thought she was prepared for what she will find. She was completely wrong.


	17. Chapter 17

Lying on the floor, Nick's eyes keeps on blinking and looking towards the right, while his head is twitching the same direction. Now with his head lying on one side, his mouth begins to open and it leads him to continuously bite his tongue, causing him to drool red saliva. Then, he begins to repeatedly make loud gurgling and gasping sounds while still blinking very abruptly. The rest of his body is stiff and he is shaking slightly. His clothes are covered in sweat patches and his face is pale and a bit bluish.

Moving the popcorn and the pieces of the bowl out of the way, Carla kneels down beside Nick and calls for an ambulance.

"Hello, ambulance emergency"

"Hello, um, I think my husband is having some sort of fit and there is blood coming out of his mouth"

"Ok, has he had a fit before?"

"No, I don't think so. He has never had anything like this"

"Ok, can you give me your address and house number"

After Carla gave the phone operator the address of her house, she was then given instructions on how to manage Nick's seizure. First, she clears the area surrounding Nick, making sure he doesn't hit anything. Then, she runs into the living room and grabs a pillow from the sofa, to put under Nick's head.

"Alright, his head on the pillow. Is there anything else that I should do?", Carla asks the phone operator.

"Just stay by Nick's side. Don't try to restrain him and definitely don't put anything in his mouth. The ambulance is on its way", the phone operator replies.

Suddenly, Nick's bent arms start to jerk upwards. His shaking has gotten a lot faster and both of his hands are bent downwards. Then, his arms begin to shake rapidly, his neck moves slowly towards the right while his head moves slowly upwards. His eyes begin to roll backwards and the noise he is making is now more of a grunting noise. Nick's entire body is shaking really fast and is rolling to the left a little bit; his once slightly bent legs are now completely straight and his hips are jerking upwards and downwards. His bent arms are now waving everywhere in rigid motions and his neck starts to move back towards the middle, while his head jerks sideways very quickly.

"Nick! Please don't die, Nick! Please don't die!", Carla cries.

"Try and stay calm, the ambulance is almost there", the phone operator tells Carla, as he can hear her crying through the phone.

All of a sudden, Nick's shaking starts to slow down. His arms are now starting to come towards his chest and his movement is beginning to be more jerky. Then, his head jerks to the right slightly, making it looking upwards. Eventually, he stops moving. Still looking upwards, Nick begins to make snoring sounds and he's spitting out the saliva that is still in his bluish mouth. He is breathing in through his nose and out through his mouth, although it is a bit inadequate.

"Nick? Nick can you hear me?", Carla hesitates.

*Knock* *Knock*

Heading towards the door, Carla opens it to find the paramedics and she guides them into the kitchen.

"Hey mate, can you hear me?", one the paramedics ask as he goes down towards Nick who is lying completely still. His breathing is getting a bit better, although it's quite loud and his eyes are still rolled backwards.

"What's his name?", The paramedic asks.

"Nick", Carla replies.

"Ok Nick, I just need you to relax. You're doing a great job so far. We're just going to take you to the hospital to get you check out"

Getting rid of the bloodied saliva that was coming out of Nick's mouth, the paramedic asks the other paramedics to help him get Nick on the stretcher. While they carefully put Nick onto the stretcher, Nick's eyes roll back to normal and he begins to look around his surroundings.

"Alright Nick, we're going to get some oxygen on you, to help you breathe a lot better"

As Nick stares blankly towards the ceiling, the paramedic puts an oxygen mask on his face.

"We're going to get you in the ambulance now Nick. Just relax"

Walking to the front door, the paramedics place Nick in the back of the ambulance and Carla follows straight afterwards. Nick's head and body are moving slightly as they head off to the hospital.


	18. Chapter 18

Opening his eyes gradually, Nick sees Carla's concern face looking at him from the bedside. She goes to press the nurse call button as she has been told to alert someone as soon as Nick wakes up.

"Car-Carla, what's... what's going on?", Nick says weakly while taking off his oxygen mask.

"Shh, shh, it's ok. Keep the mask on. You're in a hospital. You had some sort of seizure", Carla replies while gently putting the mask back on Nick's face.

Then, a nurse comes into the room where she finds both Carla and Nick, with Nick looking completely confused.

"Is he fully conscious?", The nurse asks Carla.

"I think so. I mean, he did say my name", Carla replies.

Nodding to give Carla a response, the nurse's attention turns towards Nick.

"Ok. It seems your breathing has gotten a lot better now. Let me help you take this off properly"

After she takes off Nick's mask, the nurse asks Nick a couple of questions to make sure he is fully conscious:

"What's your name?"

"Nick"

"What month is it?"

"Ju-June"

Having answered the two questions correctly, the nurse begins to explain to Nick that he had a seizure and that he is in a hospital. Then, she asks both Nick and Carla some questions about Nick's seizure:

"First of all, Nick, how are you feeling?"

"Um... I feel really confused, sore and tired. My tongue feels really painful too"

"Do you remember anything that happened when you had your seizure?"

"No... not really. I just remember putting popcorn in a bowl, then all of a sudden, it felt like I just had a blackout. Next thing I remember is waking up in here"

"Ok, do you think you have had a seizure like this before?"

"I-I honestly, um... I don't know. I had a blackout about a week ago... but-but I don't know if that was... if that was a seizure"

"Ok, that's fine. I'll let you get some rest now. Is it alright if Carla and I go outside?"

"Yeah sure... go ahead"

As Carla and the nurse go outside the room, Nick takes in a deep breath and tries to get some sleep.

* * *

Standing in the corridor, Carla gives details to the nurse about what Nick was doing when he was seizing.

"Hmm, that sounds like he had a tonic-clonic seizure", the nurse tells Carla.

"What does 'tonic-clonic' mean?", Carla asks.

"It's just a type of seizure. There are different types of seizures and tonic-clonic is one of them. I think Nick may have epilepsy. Looking at his medical records, Nick's brain damage may have been the cause"

"He has a younger brother who has epilepsy too"

"Oh, that makes, even more, sense. So it may be the brain damage and possibly a genetic cause. To be honest, we may never know; what causes epilepsy is a very complex subject"

"I see"

"Anyway, I do think Nick has epilepsy but I'm not qualified to make that diagnosis. I will refer him to a neurologist"

"Well, we've already seen a private consultant who specialises in brain injury. She said that if Nick has another blackout, we should contact her right away"

"Oh ok, do that then. The sooner we can get a proper diagnosis, the sooner we can start treatment"

"Ok, thank you"

* * *

Entering the room, Carla spots Nick on his side, burying his head into the pillow with his eyes open.

"Are you alright dear?", Carla asks while stroking Nick's arm.

"No, not really. I feel so tired but I can't get any sleep", Nick says and his voice breaks a little bit.

"Ok, well just relax. The nurse said that they will keep you here overnight, just as a precaution. I'll let Chris and everyone else at the bistro know what's going on"

Rolling onto his back, Nick puts his hand on top of his eyes and begins to sob.

"Nick, what's the matter?", Carla says with worry.

"I always ruin everything. We were supposed to watch a film together and now we are stuck in a hospital", Nick cries.

"Hey, hey, come on. It's alright. It's just a film, it's not the end of the world"

Nick continues to cry and Carla simply doesn't know what to do.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry Carla"

"Nick come on, there's nothing to be sorry about"


	19. Chapter 19

"I've booked a meeting with the consultant Jane tomorrow straight after work, is that ok with you Tilsley?", says Carla.

"Yeah, that's fine", Nick replies.

The couple got back from the hospital a couple of hours ago. Carla was at the bistro all day and went to pick up Nick after she had finished work. Now, both Carla and Nick are sitting on the sofa with Carla doing some administration on her laptop for the bistro and Nick casually watching TV.

"Perhaps we should let Gail know about what's been going on with your head injury", Carla mumbles.

Nick takes in an uncomfortable breath: "Yeah ok... I'll tell her"

"Good. When will you tell her?"

"After this show is finished"

"Ok"

To be honest, Nick isn't really paying attention to the television. He is completely terrified of the future now. What if the rest of his life is going backwards and forwards to the hospital? What if the rest of Carla's life is going backwards and forwards to the hospital? In fact, Nick extremely hates being in hospitals. The white walls, the nurses coming in and out of his room, the terrible food, the uncomfortable bed; everything about hospitals makes him feel so uneasy. While he was there yesterday, Nick kept on having horrible flashbacks to 2013, when he was in a hospital for over two months. Not being able to move, talk or even breathe, it was like Nick was living in a never-ending nightmare.

Sinking into the sofa, Nick is desperately trying not to cry- he can't stand breaking down in front of Carla.

"Nick? Nick!"

Being caught off guard, Nick notices Carla shaking him and calling out his name.

"I thought you said that you were going to talk to Gail after the show was finished. Well, it finished 10 mins ago", Carla tells Nick.

Feeling a bit embarrassed, Nick gets off the sofa and heads upstairs to his and Carla's room.

"Remember, you have to talk to Gail about-"

"YES! I fucking know CARLA!", Nick interrupts before slamming the door.

Sighing, Carla just continues working on the administration. However, feeling tired and a bit fed up, she slams her laptop shut and turns up the volume on the TV.

"Will you turn that shit DOWN!", Nick shouts from their room.

"Will you just shut up and talk to Gail!", Carla yells back.

Storming back down the stairs, Nick enters the living room and takes out the plug from the plug socket that was connected to the TV. Feeling a bit scared, Carla watches Nick storm back up the stairs and hears him slam the door.

Carla loathes these situations. She just never knows what to do.


	20. Chapter 20

"Have you seen my phone?", Nick asks.

"No, where did you last have it?", Carla replies.

"In here, but I've forgotten where I put it"

Searching for Nick's phone, Carla finds it by the corner of the room with a cracked screen.

"Here it is, what happened to it?" questions Carla with concern as she remembers that her husband's phone had a clear screen the day before.

"Oh, nothing. I must have dropped it by accident", Nick lied.

Carla pretended not to notice the lie, but she knew her husband wasn't telling the truth. The state he was in yesterday... she's slightly relieved that he took it out on his phone.

"Mum's coming over by the way"

Being caught off guard, Carla lets out a huge groan: "Why is she coming over?"

"She suggested it and I said that it wasn't a problem. David, Kylie and the kids are coming too"

"Great. Now I'm gonna hear Gail talk about how much of _slut_ I am"

"You're the one who said to talk to her"

"Yes, about your brain injury. I didn't ask you to invite her!"

Taking a deep breath, Nick tries to calm himself down- since he thinks he'll end up doing something stupid. Realising that their previous argument could result in Nick losing his temper, Carla apologises and prepares to the leave the house. Catching a glimpse of himself in the mirror, Nick sees a tense man with a bright red face and clenched fists.

"Nick, are you coming?", Carla yells from the front door.

"Um, yeah, coming", Nick replies.

* * *

"Sorry for the wait, it's been a bit busy today", Jane says.

"Oh, that's good for business I suppose", Carla jokes.

"Hehe, I suppose you can say that", Jane giggles.

After going through the symptoms Carla mentioned in their latest phone call, Jane begins to talk about Nick's seizure: "The nurse who treated you gave me all the details. Nick, the blackout you had before, was that a seizure?"

Nick sighs, "I don't know"

"I understand that you produced a lot of saliva when you had your seizure at your house. Did you wake up with a lot of saliva when you had your blackout in the park?"

"I don't know, I can't remember"

"That's ok. In all honesty, I can't diagnose you with epilepsy. We can't be sure if you had a seizure in the park and that seizure that you had in the kitchen may have been a one-off. I can only diagnose you if you have repeated seizures"

Carla asks, "What if he does have another one?"

Jane replies, "Then contact me straight away. That would be enough to diagnose him with epilepsy. Do you know what to do if he does have a seizure?"

"Yeah, the phone operator told me what to"

"Ok. Of course, Nick, for a while, be careful where you are and make sure someone's around to help you in case you do have another seizure. Other than that, that's all I can say about the seizures. I'm sorry I couldn't give you much help"

"No, you've been brilliant. Your advice has really helped me and Nick"

After going through Nick's seizure, they discuss his sleeping problems. Even though Jane said she wanted to review the sleeping timetable after two weeks, she can already see a clear pattern, even though it has only been a week. So, she prescribes Nick with some sleeping tablets.

"Take these for now on to help you sleep better. They don't work straight away, so I would suggest to read a book or do something else that is relaxing. Don't go on your phone, laptop or any other electronic device, because the blue screen will keep you awake. Once they do start working, they keep you asleep for around eight hours. Take these tablets for a while so your body can get used to this sleeping pattern. After a month, we'll start getting you off those tablets and try to get you into that sleeping pattern naturally, of course, if you're ready at the time", Jane tells Nick.

"Ok, that's fine. Hmph, I can finally have a good sleep now", Nick smiles.

"Hehe, well that's good. Are there any other questions? Any other concerns?"

Both Carla and Nick looked at each other for a moment.

"No, that's it thanks", Nick says.

* * *

Laying in their bed, Nick reads an old book of his, while Carla snuggles up to him.

"I don't think I've ever seen that book before", Carla yawns.

"I've had it for a while. I've just never got the chance to read it", Nick replies.

"Hmm, what's it about?"

"A murder in a city called Jacksonville"

"Oh dear, that doesn't sound pleasant"

"Hmph!"

All of a sudden, Carla starts to notice Nick's eyes flicking.

"Are the tablets starting to kick in?", Carla asks.

"Yeah... I think so", Nick whispers.

Putting his book on the dressing table, Nick rests his head on the pillow and goes straight to sleep. Carla turns off the lamp and does the same.

However, before she closes her eyes, Carla puts her arm around her husband. This may be only a small step, but it's a step closer to getting Nick back to his old self.


	21. Chapter 21

*Snores*

*Sighs*

*Snores*

*Sighs*

For the last few hours, Nick and Carla have been in a cycle of snoring and sighing. Carla had forgotten how much Nick snores while he was asleep and now she can barely get any sleep herself. Although she is quite relieved that the sleeping tablets are working so that her husband can finally get a good night sleep.

*Snores*

"Nick, shut up", Carla groans as she has lost her patience.

*Snores*

"Nick. Shut. Up"

*Snores*

*Sighs*

Carla gets out of the bed and goes to sleep in the guest room.

* * *

"Good morning", Nick smiles to Carla as he makes the pancakes in his dressing grown.

"Morning", Carla groans while rubbing her eyes as she stumbles into the kitchen. "I bet you had a good night sleep"

"Oh yeah, it was great! Those tablets are the best! I was dead to the world me. I had this dream of me and you on a beach, just me and you, and it was so relaxing. Then the alarm went off and I felt so energised you know like I could just go outside for a run, but then I thought that I can use that energy to make pancakes for breakfast. Hey, look at me making breakfast, even though I didn't do anything wrong last night"

Carla just stands in the kitchen with her arms folded, looking a bit annoyed.

"Um... did I do something wrong? What did I do wrong?", Nick stutters.

"You just kept snoring over and over again. I couldn't get any sleep last night!", Carla moans.

"Oh"

"Didn't you noticed that I wasn't in the same bed as you when you woke up?"

"I... I thought you were in the bathroom"

" _You thought I was in the bathroom_ "

Nick looks down at the floor, looking very apologetic: "I'm sorry Carla, I'm very sorry"

Carla sighs: "Don't worry about it, at least you finally got some sleep and this time you woke up, instead of sleeping in all day"

Nick looks up and smiles at Carla again. He does feel bad that Carla had to sleep in the guest room, but he can't help feeling happy about his restful night.

* * *

It's a very busy day at the bistro- the whole place is full, there's not an empty chair in sight. Nick has been serving a table of 10 elderly women while Carla is behind the bar serving drinks.

"Where are you from?", one of the women flirty asks.

"Manchester, born and breed", Nick giggles.

"Oooh, a Manchester man, so... would you date an older woman?"

"Uh yeah, older women are my type"

"OOOOH, so would you mind dating me?"

"No thank you, I already married an older woman", Nick says while pointing to his wedding ring, Carla watches him from the bar, feeling a little bit embarrassed.

"Ah, who is this lucky lady then?", the woman asks.

Nick turns his head towards Carla and the women on the table take the hint. Carla gives a little wave while feeling even more embarrassed.

The woman almost chokes on her drink: "She's older than YOU?"

"Yeah?", Nick replies bemusedly.

"You look older than her!", another woman says.

"No, I don't"

"Yeah, you do. She looks like she is in her 30s whereas you look like you're in your 40s"

"No! It's the other way round!"

Carla couldn't help but laugh out loud. Feeling completely embarrassed, Nick leaves the women to let them enjoy their meal and goes up to Carla.

"Well, that backfired", Nick tells Carla.

"Well, that's what you get for trying to embarrass me", Carla laughs.

"I wasn't trying to embarrass you. I just didn't want them to get the wrong end of the stick"

"Good, because I just want you to myself. My 40-year-old looking husband"

Nick sighs as Carla goes to wrap her arms around his waist and kiss the dimple on his chin, Nick then responds by kissing her forehead.

"AWWWWWWWWW", all the women say from their table.


End file.
